e-book vrs. real stuff

[WJMuldowney]

I may eventually get a Kindle or some electronic reader, but I think they are too limited and expensive today.

It's hard to beat reading a book in an overstuffed chair next to a roaring fire. Holding the book, turning the page, placing it back onto a bookshelf, these are all things that make reading "real" books enjoyable.

[BloomingRose]

A book is a book, and nothing is comparable to that 'real stuff' as you call it. I never read online, unless it is a very antique book you're not likely to find anywhere else. You can carry your book wherever you go, write on its pages if you like (though it's not useful to me, and I wouldn't do it), and you have it on your shelf in case someday you need to look for a specific quote or paragraph.
I don't think the 'real stuff' is endangered because of Copyright issues, but it may be true that young people (and not so young!) are getting used to reading books online. I don't care haha. I will always choose the book as the best option

[Poetess]

Dear, I am sure "real stuff" will survive as long as there are people like us who care about them. I, as a paper-obsessed person since childhood, prefer paper books of course; however, sometimes we can`t find a book at a very instant moment so we have to download the electronic version of it. This happened last semester when I had to write a research AND a review about a movie which I chose to be Sleepy Hollow by Tim Burton.

I couldn`t find the novel on which the movie was based, so I had to download it, read it and quote it in my research. I personally couldn`t give up on that because we can`t base our researches on the internet only. Books, magazines, newsletters, TV programs or other movies should be taken too.

That`s why IMO e-books aren`t actually a TOTAL threat or bad stuff. Well, they helped me to submit a whole research and review in a few hours. :-)

[Paulclem]

A book is a book, and nothing is comparable to that 'real stuff' as you call it. I never read online, unless it is a very antique book you're not likely to find anywhere else. You can carry your book wherever you go, write on its pages if you like (though it's not useful to me, and I wouldn't do it), and you have it on your shelf in case someday you need to look for a specific quote or paragraph.
I don't think the 'real stuff' is endangered because of Copyright issues, but it may be true that young people (and not so young!) are getting used to reading books online. I don't care haha. I will always choose the book as the best option

I think you'll be able to do all those things with an e-reader, if not now, then in the future. I'd like an e=reader, and they will become affordable at some point, and better at what they do.

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

Many of the books I own are very old having been inherited through great grandparents, Grandparents and parents alike. These were the books I grew up with and while I was still young, I recall my habitual sniffing of the books and examining the texture of the old yellowing paper. (OK, I must confess; I still sniff the pages of the “old ones” in fact I try to coerce my wife and son to sniff the pages, but they don’t understand)
Many of the books were part of my maternal grandfather’s library. Inside one can still see where he jotted notes in the margins or brackets singling out a passage that held special meaning to him.
I seriously doubt that “E-books” will be able to replicate the smell, texture and sound of turning pages. Perhaps the engineer’s could incorporate a “scratch and sniff” feature to the device, but most likely we will only get a waft of PCB’s, off gassing of plastics, heated transistors and circuit boards. Somehow that just doesn’t hold much of a nostalgic appeal to me.

And what becomes of the empty bookshelves? - no thanks, I'll stick to the real McCoy!